Last July, an existing client engaged us to design the security system for a building that was under construction. It is part of a property where we conducted a security risk assessment a few years earlier. The client was surprised when we asked to sit down with him to revisit the risk assessment process. “Why do you need to do that,” he asked? “You guys did the last risk assessment. Nothing has changed”. In fact, a lot had changed. And this is the reason we are changing the way security risk management is practised. Our new tool, which is a world first will ensure that security risk assessments are always up to date and the chances of an adverse event are minimised.

The next generation of these devices are now coming to market with a much higher level of intelligence.

What the manufacturers are doing now is adopting the principle first explored by Dick Tracy in 1946 and more recently by Apple, by making 2-way communications wearable in the form of a duress smart watch.

Applications for thermal CCTV cameras don’t come up all that often. Firstly, because they can be very expensive – costing in excess of $10,000. Also, because the applications for them are not fully understood or appreciated.

In the last newsletter, we spoke of how facial recognition technologies have evolved and how they are being applied with good results in the commercial world.
Specifically, we spoke of their use in major shopping centres and how they can be adopted to track and monitor peoples activities.

Facial recognition can be used in a whole range of non-security applications.

Facial Recognition is a technology that has been over promoted for many years. Much of the attention has come from Hollywood where it has magically solved all manner of crimes on television and in the movies.

In recent years, it has been implemented in commercial applications with good levels of success.

I am not necessarily an advocate for CCTV but as a 20 year veteran of the security industry, I understand how and where CCTV can add value. CCTV is just one available component of a good risk management strategy and exactly where CCTV fits, if at all, depends solely on the application.

CCTV is being promoted as the answer to all things security. Through recent industry articles and promotional material I have learnt that the installation of CCTV cameras will do everything from stopping terrorist attacks to eliminating shoplifting and preventing burglaries. This is simply not the case and let me explain why.